K-Pax (34 page)
Bu
t
th
e
poin
t
I
wa
s
makin
g
wa
s
tha
t
prot'
s
presenc
e
seeme
d
t
o
b
e
beneficia
l
fo
r
man
y
o
f
our
long-ter
m
patients
.
Thi
s
raise
d
a
n
interestin
g
dilemma
:
I
f
w
e
wer
e
successfu
l
i
n
diagnosin
g
an
d
treating
prot'
s
illness
,
migh
t
no
t
hi
s
recover
y
com
e
a
t
th
e
expens
e
o
f
man
y
o
f
hi
s
fello
w
sufferers?
Sessio
n
Five
BEFOR
E
m
y
nex
t
encounte
r
wit
h
pro
t
I
ha
d
a
coupl
e
o
f
ol
d
floo
r
lamp
s
brough
t
i
n
fro
m
th
e
storage
tunne
l
an
d
equippe
d
the
m
wit
h
fifteen-wat
t
"nightlight
"
bulbs
,
hopin
g
th
e
dimme
r
radianc
e
woul
d
induce
hi
m
t
o
remov
e
hi
s
dar
k
glasse
s
s
o
I
coul
d
se
e
hi
s
eyes
.
Tha
t
i
s
exactl
y
wha
t
happene
d
and
,
althoug
h
now
i
t
wa
s
to
o
dar
k
i
n
m
y
examinin
g
roo
m
t
o
se
e
th
e
res
t
o
f
hi
m
wit
h
clarity
,
I
coul
d
discer
n
hi
s
obsidia
n
irises
shinin
g
acros
s
th
e
des
k
lik
e
thos
e
o
f
som
e
nocturna
l
anima
l
a
s
h
e
plucke
d
a
papay
a
fro
m
th
e
frui
t
basket
an
d
offere
d
m
e
a
bite.
Whil
e
h
e
at
e
I
casuall
y
gav
e
hi
m
th
e
dat
e
o
f
m
y
birt
h
an
d
aske
d
hi
m
t
o
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
da
y
o
f
th
e
week
i
t
fel
l
on
.
H
e
shrugge
d
an
d
wen
t
o
n
chomping
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
t
o
giv
e
m
e
th
e
squar
e
roo
t
o
f
98,596
.
His
repl
y
was
:
"Mathematic
s
i
s
no
t
m
y
stron
g
suit.
"
The
n
I
aske
d
hi
m
t
o
d
o
wha
t
I
though
t
h
e
ha
d
done
earlier
,
namel
y
t
o
dra
w
th
e
nigh
t
sk
y
a
s
see
n
fro
m
K-PAX
,
onl
y
i
n
th
e
othe
r
direction
,
awa
y
fro
m
the Earth
.
Whe
n
h
e
ha
d
finishe
d
I
compare
d
i
t
wit
h
th
e
on
e
Stev
e
ha
d
faxe
d
m
e
th
e
wee
k
before
.
It containe
d
fewe
r
star
s
tha
n
th
e
compute
r
projection
,
bu
t
I
coul
d
tel
l
tha
t
th
e
genera
l
patter
n
wa
s
th
e
same.
I
didn'
t
wast
e
tim
e
askin
g
hi
m
ho
w
h
e
kne
w
wha
t
th
e
nigh
t
sk
y
looke
d
lik
e
fro
m
K-PAX
.
H
e
would
undoubtedl
y
hav
e
spoute
d
somethin
g
abou
t
"growin
g
u
p
there.
"
Instead
,
I
turne
d
o
n
th
e
tap
e
recorder
an
d
essentiall
y
jus
t
le
t
hi
m
ramble
.
I
wante
d
t
o
kno
w
exactl
y
ho
w
wel
l
develope
d
hi
s
peculia
r
delusion
wa
s
an
d
what
,
i
f
anything
,
w
e
migh
t
b
e
abl
e
t
o
lear
n
fro
m
it
,
bot
h
abou
t
prot'
s
tru
e
backgroun
d
and,
perhaps
,
abou
t
th
e
univers
e
i
n
general.
"Tel
l
m
e
abou
t
K-PAX,
"
I
said.
H
e
li
t
u
p
whe
n
I
aske
d
hi
m
that
.
Munchin
g
a
sta
r
fruit
,
th
e
significanc
e
o
f
whic
h
wa
s
no
t
los
t
o
n
him,
h
e
said
,
"Wha
t
woul
d
yo
u
lik
e
t
o
know?"
"Everything
.
Describ
e
a
typica
l
da
y
i
n
a
typica
l
year."
"Ah,
"
h
e
nodded
.
"
A
typica
l
day.
"
Apparentl
y
thi
s
wa
s
no
t
a
n
unpleasan
t
prospect
.
H
e
finishe
d
his
